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Giants Impact Defensive Players 2010

September 8th, 2010 at 7:35 PM
By Rich O'Callaghan

The New York Giants open the 2010 season at home on Sunday against a young and scrappy Carolina Panthers’ team. After a promising 5-0 start last season the Giants fell apart and finished with an 8-8 record, much of which was due to injuries to several key defensive starters. Who are the impact players who will lead a Giants defensive turnaround this season, and get them back to their winning ways?

  • Justin Tuck - The Pro Bowl defensive end is clearly one of the most physically gifted players in the NFL, but a cheap-shot from former Cowboys offensive tackle Flozell Adams in week two last season injured Tuck’s shoulder, which killed his productivity. Tuck is back, healthy and has assumed the role of a team leader this season. All indications are that this will be #91’s best season, and a healthy Tuck will definitely boost the Giants’ pass rush.
  • Mathias Kiwanuka - The Giants other starting defensive end is a solid run defender, who struggled rushing the passer last season, managing just 3.0 sacks (his career high is 8.0 in 2008). Kiwi is in a contract year, and he will have to show his improvement in the pass rushing department if he expects the Giants to give him a new contract. The Giants still have pass rushing specialist Osi Umenyiora and the raw athletic freak Jason-Pierre Paul on the roster as well, so Kiwanuka needs to be productive this season if he wants to return in 2011, and he has the skills to make it happen.
  • Osi Umenyiora - No longer a starter, Osi has stopped complaining about his role, and is now embracing entering the season as the Giants pass rushing specialist. Despite a lingering injury to his hip, which the Giants training staff will keep an eye on all season, Umenyoria has looked like his productive and explosive old self this preseason. By managing his snaps and limiting Osi to mostly just pass rushing, I expect him to have his most productive season since 2007.
  • Chris Canty – The Giants big money free agent acquisition last summer, the massive (6′7 310lbs) Canty struggled with injuries last season, injuring his calf and then his hamstring, and playing hurt all season. He showed up at camp this summer in the best shape of his life, and was playing like the force he should be, until struggling with a minor groin injury. If the Giants can get Canty on the field at 100% in the opener on Sunday, it will greatly impact the interior defensive line, and free up their Pro Bowl ends to make plays.
  • Barry Cofield & Rocky Bernard – Two veteran tackles who played poor football last season, Cofield (knee) and Benard (shoulder) were both injured in 2009. While Bernard looked great this preseason, Cofield continued to struggle, and there is speculation that he is unhappy with his contract. If the Giants can get both of these players once again playing at a high level, a rotation of them, rookie Linval Joseph and Chris Canty should give the team their strongest interior defensive line play in years.
  • Jason Pierre-Paul & Linval Joseph - The Giants first two draft picks in April both play on the defensive line, and I think both are talented enough to have an impact on the defense this year. I expect we see Joseph as a member of the defensive tackle rotation early on, at first for a few snaps a game, and then more as the season progresses. His sheer size (6′5 335lbs) strength and quickness will be tough for offensive linemen to deal with right away. Jason Pierre-Paul has all of the athletic talent in the world, but is extremely raw, and I think he is a year away from showing us just how dangerous he really is. That being said, I think we still see him contribute this season in obvious passing situations, where he can make plays and bring pressure with his natural talent alone.
  • Jonathan Goff - When the Giants signed veteran linebacker Keith Bulluck late this off season, it was expected that Bulluck would win the starting middle linebacker job from the inexperienced Goff, and take over the position for the opener. Goff outplayed Bulluck in the middle during training camp and the preseason, and fought to hold onto the starting position, as Bulluck shifted to his more natural strong side position. I expect Goff to play well this season, especially as a run defender, and hope to see him commanding the Giants defense on first and second downs.
  • Michael Boley - New defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s defense is all about speed, and Boley is the Giants’ fastest linebacker, so I expect him to excel in this system. Boley finished second on the Giants in tackles last season (84 total) despite missing five full games due to injury and played hurt for much of the season when he was on the field. I think that if he stays healthy, Boley will finish the 2010 season as the Giants most productive and consistent linebacker.
  • Keith Bulluck - One of the greatest and most consistent linebackers in the NFL over the past decade, Bulluck is still working his way into form, after a knee injury ended his 2009 season and his lengthy career with the Tennessee Titans. The Giants signed Bulluck to be an inside linebacker, but with Jonathan Goff playing well in the middle and Clint Sintim struggling to shed blockers on the strong side, the team made the decision to slide out Bulluck to his more natural position. Bulluck is a experienced player and a natural leader who should be solid on the field, while mentoring the Giants young linebackers off it.
  • Corey Webster & Terrell Thomas - The Giants starting corner back tandem is extremely underrated by NFL experts, and I think they are poised for a fantastic season, as an improved pass rush will make their jobs easier. Keep your eyes focused on Thomas in the early going, he is a player that does not get the credit he deserves from the New York media. He led the Giants in tackles (85 total) and interceptions (five interceptions, one returned for a touchdown) last season, while notching 1.0 sack and forcing a fumble. These numbers should be even better in 2010, aided by the improved Giants pass rush.
  • Aaron Ross – The man who cannot stay healthy, Ross is one of the Giants mist gifted athletes, but just cannot get on the field. After dealing with three hamstring tears last season, Ross looked to help the Giants at nickel back and as a punt returner this season. In the second preseason game Ross suffered plantar fasciitis injury in his foot and missed the rest of the preseason. There is some optimism that Ross will be able to return for the opener this Sunday, and he returned to practice on a limited basis today, but he will likely be a game time decision. With the inexperienced Bruce Johnson as the nickel back behind Ross, the Giants could certainly use him.
  • Antrel Rolle - A free agent addition this off season, the ball-hawking safety proved his worth this preseason, intercepting passes from both Mark Sanchez (Jets) and Tom Brady (Patriots) and returning them long distances each time. Rolle’s athleticism and play-making ability should stand out instantly in 2010, because not having a decent safety killed the Giants starting in week three last season (the first game Kenny Phillips missed due to a season ending knee injury). Rolle will be a difference-maker for the Giants in 2010.
  • Kenny Phillips - The Giants top safety was nothing short of awesome during the first two weeks of the 2009 season, as he had 13 tackles and two interceptions in the first two contests, both Giants victories. Then Phillips was diagnosed with a career threatening knee condition, and underwent surgery, ending his season. Without Phillips, or any reserves capable of replacing his production, the Giants defense and season fell apart. Phillips returns this season, and says he is 100% recovered, but I am still a little skeptical on this. I think the Giants will be substituting veteran Deon Grant in for Phillips every few series and giving him a breather as he gets his legs back under him. Of course Phillips (or Grant) playing next to Antrel Rolle is a huge upgrade over the Giants safety tandem last season, and if Phillips is eventually playing every snap (with Rolle), the Giants should have the best pair of safeties in the NFL.

NOTE:

  • Running Back Brandon Jacobs is unhappy with the media after he was reported to be unhappy with a reduced role earlier this week,  answering all questions on the subject with a “Next Question” today, before firing off “You think I’m stupid, aren’t you? You guys are funny man.” Storming away and shouting a profanity.
  • Kenny Phillips will officially be starting on Sunday against the Panthers, replacing Deon Grant, although I will not be surprised if Grant rotates into the game, giving Phillips breathers as he regains confidence in his knee.
  • Rookie linebacker Phillip Dillard (hamstring) and safety Michael Johnson (personal reasons) were the only Giants who did not practice today, while center Shaun O’Hara (Ankle), cornerback Aaron Ross (foot) and linebacker Gerris Wilkinson (groin) were limited.

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Posted in 2010 Giants, Aaron Ross, Antrel Rolle, Barry Cofield, Bruce Johnson, Chris Canty, Clint Sintim, Corey Webster, Gerris Wilkinson, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jonathan Goff, Justin Tuck, Keith Bulluck, Kenny Phillips, Linval Joseph, Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Boley, Michael Johnson, Osi Umenyiora, Perry Fewell, Phillip Dillard, Rich O'Callaghan, Rocky Bernard, Shaun O'Hara, Terrell Thomas | 3 Comments »

Post Preseason New York Giants Thoughts 9/3

September 3rd, 2010 at 6:57 PM
By Rich O'Callaghan

The preseason is over, and the New York Giants are just nine days away from their 2010 season opener, at home against the Carolina Panthers. During the off season, I was extremely confident that the Giants would be a great team this season, but following the first three preseason games my confidence sinking. After last night’s win against the Patriots, the starting unit finally gelled, and now my confidence is back up. Here are a few thought I had on a few of the Giants impact players at the conclusion of the preseason:

  • Antrel Rolle - The Giants new safety did not disappoint this preseason, and proved how much the back end of the defense has been upgraded, following a disastrous 2009 season. Rolle intercepted passes from both of the AFC East’s pretty-boy quarterbacks (the Jets’ Mark Sanchez and the Patriots’ Tom Brady…no offense Chad Henne) during the preseason opener and the preseason finale respectively. Following each interception, Rolle showed the speed and vision that makes him such a threat, returning the pick against the Jets 59 yards to the one yard line and the interception against the Patriots 28 yards. Giants fans have to be excited to have an electric playmaker at safety, following the embarrassing play of C.C. Brown and Aaron Rouse a year ago. Rolle’s presence alone means the Giants defense will be much improved in 2010.
  • Shawn Andrews - The big and versatile offensive linemen showed why he is a two time Pro Bowler last night, looking immovable in pass protection and like a bulldozer in the running game. I think that Andrews has the fire back in him, which he lost in Philly, and wants to prove to the world that he is still one of the best offensive lineman in the league. The Giants needs to give Andrews that opportunity, and start him at left guard during the season opener against Carolina. With a offensive line of David Diehl, Andrews, Shaun O’Hara (if his ankle checks out), Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie the Giants will have a stout offensive line which will be able to open huge holes in the running game. I think that this move is inevitable, but will more than likely not happen until midseason, when Andrews becomes familiar with the Giants schemes and plays himself into football shape. I think it would greatly benefit the offense and especially the running game if the front office showed some guts and started Andrews right away.
  • Ahmad Bradshaw - If he can stay healthy and the Giants offensive line can open hole for him, I am projecting a huge season for Ahmad Bradshaw. I am not exaggerating when I say I think he can eclipse 1,700 total yards this season, score 12 touchdowns and make the Pro Bowl. Bradshaw is a big reason why I stand by my prediction that the Giants win the NFC East, he is known nationally, but he becomes a star in 2010.
  • Clint Sintim - I hate to say this, since I correctly picked him in my mock draft in 2009, but I am beginning to question if Sintim has a future with the Giants. He will be a very good player in this league, but he is a pass rusher and not much else, who seems destined to play rush linebacker in a 3-4 defense.  He lacks the instincts and the ability to shed blockers that is required to be a successful outside linebacker in the 4-3 defensive scheme. I was predicting a monster year for Sintim, but now I do not see it. I would not be surprised if he is eventually traded to a team where his skill set could be best utilized in a 3-4 scheme at some point in the near future.  Kansas City, I’m looking at you.
  • William Beatty - I lobbied for Beatty to become the Giants starting left tackle all off season, after his impressive performance as a rookie when forced into action last season, and thought that he would force David Diehl inside to left guard. Man was I wrong. Beatty has had his struggles this preseason, but he was not terrible, he just is not remotely ready yet. While Diehl is not your prototypical left tackle, he really proved his worth by putting together a fantastic preseason, playing physical, tough and with a mean streak. Diehl belongs at left tackle, and with Shaun Andrews looking to take over at left guard, I am starting to think Beatty could be a talented reserve for a long time. He needs to watch Diehl, learn from him, and get stronger, tougher and nastier before he is ready for a full time starting position.
  • Hakeem Nicks - There is no longer any doubt, Nicks is going to beyond break out this season, and it is going to be amazing. Although he was only in the game for the first two offensive series last night, he touched the ball four times (3 receptions, 1 carry) and totaled 48 yards (15 on the carry). Giants Quarterback Eli Manning threw another pass to him as well, which was well defended and broken up. So Nicks was targeted (at least) five times last night, with four touches, in two series. Stretch that out over an entire game, now a full season. When Nicks gets the ball, he is one of the tougher receivers in the entire league to tackle, he totaled 411 YAC (Yards After Catch) in 2009, good for 22nd (RBs and TEs included 12th ranked wideout) in the NFL and he missed two full games. It is going to be fun watching him become a star this season, and Nicks’ development is another reason I predict the Giants to win the NFC East.
  • Rocky Bernard - I was one of the people who questioned Bernard after last season’s horrible performance, and ripped him on this site when he blamed his underwhelming 2009 on a lingering shoulder injury, which I thought was nothing more than an excuse. I may have to apologize for that. Bernard has arguably been the Giants best defensive tackle this preseason, and I think its safe to say he will be a major part of the rotation this year. Maybe his shoulder injury was the problem, and maybe he turns into the player the Giants thought they were getting when they signed him to a lucrative contract last summer. A rotation of Chris Canty, Barry Cofield, promising rookie Linval Joseph and a healthy Bernard should be a productive one for Big Blue.

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Posted in 2010 Giants, Ahmad Bradshaw, Antrel Rolle, Barry Cofield, Chris Canty, Chris Snee, Clint Sintim, David Diehl, Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Linval Joseph, Rich O'Callaghan, Rocky Bernard, Shaun O'Hara, Shawn Andrews, William Beatty | 40 Comments »

New York Giants Drop New England Patriots in Preseason Finale

September 3rd, 2010 at 9:02 AM
By Dan Benton

Thanks in large part to WordPress not having a recovery process, Simon’s game review was lost amongst the millions of accidentally deleted website posts across the world. So rather than reading his recap, which took approximately two hours, you will be stuck with my positives and negatives, which took about two minutes.

Positives:

Ahmad Bradshaw – Most fans would agree that Bradshaw is extremely talented, but I think many fail to realize that he’s elite. His unique combination of foot work, speed and power makes him one of the most complete backs in the NFL. I’ve been saying it for two years, but in my mind he’s the next Barry Sanders.

Eli Manning – He got very little playing time, but took Big Blue right down the field for what appeared to be an easy touchdown on the Giants opening drive. After looking shaky in week three of the preseason against the Ravens, he looked much more like the Super Bowl XLII MVP last night.

Duke Callhoun – I don’t think this kid makes the Giants, but I feel comfortable saying he earned himself a spot on another team with his 76 yard, one touchdown performance.

D.J. Ware/Gartrell Johnson – Both running backs made the most of their opportunities last night and showcased their value for Big Blue. And although D.J. Ware is a favorite here at Giants 101 (thanks in large part to his interaction with the writers), I’d have to say Johnson looks to be the more valuable of the two.

Bryan Kehl – Holy moly, where did that effort suddenly come from? We’ve been waiting for this guy to step up and he certainly did last night. Not only did he lead the team in tackles, he really buckled down and made some amazing plays along the goal-line that prevented New England from scoring.

Jonathan Goff - It might have been against some second, third and never-stringers, but Goff looked quite impressive at times and undoubtedly eased a little stress amongst Giants fans.

Other Notables – Hakeem Nicks, Shawn Andrews, Antrel Rolle, Kenny Phillips (kid was hitting hard), Mathias Kiwanuka, Michael Boley and Seth Williams.

Negatives:

Tim Brown – The kid looked amazing in camp, but he just didn’t blow anyone away in the preseason. After an extremely poor performance last night, and with Sinorice Moss on IR, it’s safe to assume Victor Cruz is assured of a job.

Courtney Brown – C.C., is that you? Awww you almost got us! Be gone!

Derek Hagan – Dropsies! See you on Special Teams.

Will Beatty – I am extremely disappointed in his regression this season. I truly expected so much more, but it just doesn’t seem to be translating.

Kickoff Coverage – Yuck. That’s all I have to say about that.

Mixed:

Rhett Bomar – This kid is a bit of an enigma. One second he can look amazingly talented, the next second he’s holding onto the ball too long, overthrowing it, dropping down sidearmed, getting it batted down…it’s baffling really. He’s clearly a project, but one worth taking on. Unfortunately, he’s not yet valuable en0ugh to be the Giants’ number two man.

Matt Dodge – The guy has progressed each and every week, but he’s still a tad inconsistent. His punting was great on Thursday night, but botching a snap on an extra point is no good.

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Posted in Ahmad Bradshaw, Antrel Rolle, Bryan Kehl, Courtney Brown, D.J. Ware, Derek Hagan, Eli Manning, Gartrell Johnson, Hakeem Nicks, Jonathan Goff, Kenny Phillips, Mathias Kiwanuka, Matt Dodge, Michael Boley, New York Giants, Rhett Bomar, Seth Williams, Shawn Andrews, Sinorice Moss, William Beatty | 180 Comments »

Preseason Game 3: Giants vs Ravens – Game Analysis

August 29th, 2010 at 10:29 AM
By Hazem Kiswani

The New York Giants were mauled in Baltimore on Saturday night, as the team had its worst showing of the preseason in a game that is seen as a dress rehearsal for the regular season. New York dropped the game 24 – 10 , but more importantly – the first unit looked completely out of sync and was unable to find success on either side of the football. Eli Manning played through the first two quarters, but the Giants were unable to score an offensive touchdown in the first half with their starters in the game. The first unit defense gave up 17 points to Baltimore’s starting offense.

Game Positives

- The defensive end play continues to be a plus for this Giants defense. While not showing an elite pass rush in preseason, the Giants have gotten a good push from their defensive ends over the past two weeks and have been getting to the quarterback with more regularity than last season. Justin Tuck looks ready to have a pro-bowl caliber season for New York this season.

- For the most part, the Giants really did a good job containing the Ravens running game on Saturday night. Ray Rice was unable to get  get going and no Ravens running back was able to break through the front seven for a big run into the secondary.

- Much better job punting by rookie Matt Dodge in this game. Dodge got better length and accuracy on his kicks throughout the game. Unfortunately for the Giants, he saw the field far too many times.

- Solid showing inside from new Giants signing Shawn Andrews, who will be one of the few guys coming out of this game feeling good about himself.

Game Negatives

- Zone coverage looks like a huge issue for this defense going into the regular season. The Giants secondary has been completely unable to communicate and close down holes in the zone, with opposing teams abusing them down the seams and over the middle. That continued against Baltimore.

- The depth at cornerback is almost non-existent for this team. Bruce Johnson has not played up to the standards the Giants expected of him going into camp, and Courtney Brown has been absolutely abused time and time again, week after week. Should an injury hit one of the G-Men’s top three corners, they can find themselves in real trouble in the regular season. The Giants may have to look around the league after team’s make their final cuts, for some kind of help in this area.

- The offensive line hasn’t been healthy all August, but that’s no excuse for the way they’ve protected the quarterback to this point. Eli Manning and the passing game could not get in sync as Ravens blitzers consistently found their way into the Giants backfield. The front five also struggled to get a good push in third and fourth and short situations, as they got pushed back off the ball repeatedly. Very troubling for Tom Coughlin just two weeks away from the start of the regular season.

- To add to Tom Coughlin’s headache, New York piled up several damaging penalties throughout the game whether it was the first unit or the second. So far, this certainly doesn’t look like a team that can shoot itself in the foot with penalties and get away with it.

- Where is the Giants return game, whether it be kicking or punting? New York is heading into the final game of the preseason, and there still has been almost zero production out of the return units outside of a big punt return from Aaron Ross in the second preseason game. Think the Giants want to risk putting Ross out there on punt returns with the play of their backup cornerbacks?

- Backup quarterback looks like an issue for New York. With Sorgi still out with an injury, Bomar once again struggled to consistently complete passes, and his lack of accuracy is certainly troubling considering the fact that he may be the Giants 2nd string quarterback in week one of the regular season by default due to the Sorgi injury.

- This game was almost a complete failure for the Giants, from start to finish. New York has struggled to get in rhythm this preseason on either side of the ball, and in their most important preseason game came out and layed an egg. Big Blue has to regroup and can’t let the sour taste in their mouths carry over to the start of the regular season.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

TOP PERFORMERS

WR Victor Cruz : Who else did you expect to see on this list with the way this kid’s been performing? Although expected to compete primarily as a kick return when he signed with the Giants, the rookie has not only been impressive as a receiver, but has now not only put himself in position to win a roster spot with his play in the passing game, but he’s even thrown his name in the hat for the #4 wide receiver job in this Giants offense. Cruz scored the Giants lone touchdown against the Ravens, on a one-yard pass from Rhett Bomar. He finished the game with 4 grabs for 76 yards and the score.

DE Justin Tuck: Two sacks of Flacco in the first half for Tuck, who gave Giants fans a scare when he went down awkwardly on his hand in the second quarter. Tuck did return to the game. The veteran defensive end looks ready to be the leader for this Giants defense this season, as he’s been the only starting defensive linemen to consistently play well for Perry Fewell’s defense to this point.

CB Corey Webster : With the massacre around him in the secondary, Webster did a heck of a job keeping his concentration and focus in coverage. He did a great job when matched up one on one with Derrick Mason, and intercepted Flacco on a play where the pressure up front forced a bad throw, bringing the pick back 37 yards into Ravens territory late in the second quarter.

DT Linval Joseph: Good penetration inside from the rookie, who did a good job eating up space against the Ravens run game. Joseph also found his way into the backfield for a sack.

P Matt Dodge : At least punting is one aspect the Giants can say they improved upon in this game. Nice bounce-back performance for the rookie after two shaky performances in the prior games.

ROUGH NIGHT FOR..

CB Courtney Brown: Yes, for the third straight game Brown makes this list. There is absolutely no way the Giants can go into the season having to rely on Courtney Brown to cover NFL receivers. Brown has been targeted and abused by every offense the Giants have faced this August, and the chances of him making this roster seem to be next to none. Brown was undressed when matched up with Anquan Boldin, and found himself unable to even compete with Ravens wideouts downfield.

OL Will Beatty: Very tough night for Beatty, who came into this season as one of the Giants most promising young offensive assets. The team saw the second-year man out of Penn State as its possible left tackle of the future going into camp, and he sure didn’t look to fit that title against Baltimore. Beatty has to do a better job being aware of blitzers coming his way, and doesn’t look stout when facing the bull rush.

S Antrel Rolle: After playing very well for the Giants to this point, Rolle had a tough time dealing with Ravens tight end Todd Heap. Rolle gave up several receptions in coverage, and had a costly penalty on one of the several drives that ended with touchdowns for the Ravens first unit offense.

CB Bruce Johnson: If Johnson struggles in coverage like this during the regular season, the Giants are going to be in serious trouble against teams that like to spread the field and pass the football. He continues to give up way too many completions his way.

QB Eli Manning: Manning could not get in sync behind a struggling, undermanned offensive line that just did not allow him to get comfortable in the pocket. He hit on just 50% of his passes, and was only able to get small gains in the air, as his 9 completions went for just 63 yards.

RB Andre Brown: Brown did little as a return man on Saturday night, outside of dropping a kickoff (although he did recover, only to return it 12 yards), and his three carries went for just 8 yards.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE GRADE: D

The Giants can not go into the regular season this out of sync on offense and in the secondary. There has been very little success from the first unit offense, and that continued on Saturday night as the Ravens absolutely dominated the Giants up front – making it almost impossible for Eli Manning to make plays down the football field. The return game looks very unimpressive, and the Giants are giving up a ton of big plays over the middle and down the seams in the passing game. Outside of a couple of individual performances and Matt Dodge’s punting, this was a very disappointing performance for Big Blue just a couple of weeks away from their opening game against the Panthers.

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Posted in 2010 Giants, Andre Brown, Antrel Rolle, Corey Webster, Courtney Brown, Current Giants, Eli Manning, Giants 101, Jim Sorgi, Justin Tuck, Linval Joseph, Matt Dodge, Tom Coughlin | 368 Comments »

New York Giants @ Baltimore Ravens Game Recap

August 28th, 2010 at 10:58 PM
By SimonGC

The New York Giants 24-3 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the most important of the meaningless preseason games won’t actually affect anything, but it sure won’t do much to inspire confidence among Giants players, coaches and fans. Here’s a quick post-game recap of tonight’s action. Check back tomorrow morning for Hazem’s in-depth analysis of tonight’s game that, at first glance, didn’t have many bright spots.

The Offense:

Big Blue’s starting offense went to battle tonight with only about half the starting offensive line, as Rich Seubert lined up at OC with Guy Whimper playing LG and William Beatty starting at RT for the migraine suffering Kareem McKenzie. In perhaps his last opportunity to prove he’s ready to play, Beatty showed that he is not yet capable of holding his own in the running game. With Beatty and Whimper in there instead of Shaun O’Hara and McKenzie, the offensive line struggled mightily. Eli took a handful of big hits, and there were few holes and little push in the running game, as evidenced by the Giants one good drive, that was short-circuited by 3 consecutive runs for no gain on 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-and-1.

The bright spot for the Giants starting offense was the running of Ahmad Bradshaw, who made some really nice plays without the benefit of a whole lot of running room. Brandon Jacobs also had a nice 30-yarder and a tough run to open the the second half run to show he’s still got some gas left in the tank. However, four 3-and-outs in six drives won’t make Giants fans all too enthused about the offensive performance. Neither will some familiar Kevin Gilbride play calling, which included a terribly ill conceived quick screen to Hakeem Nicks on 3rd down, and the dreaded 3rd-down shotgun draw (another instance of Bradshaw making something out of nothing).

In the second half, we finally got a look at X-factor Shawn Andrews, who along with Adam Koets and Mitch Petrus did a solid job blocking on the interior to open the second half. Looks like this combination of guys, along with Beatty, will finally push Whimper off this roster. Rhett Bomar again looked confident, but another big toss to Victor Cruz! in the 3rd quarter and a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the highlight of a mediocre performance by the second-year QB. Bomar isn’t exactly wrangling the backup job from the injured Jim Sorgi, but it’s hardly as if Sorgi can do anything to promote his own cause right now. It’s also becoming clearer by the week that Andre Brown will be the 3rd running back. The Giants will probably carry four, which leaves Gartrell “I Fumbled Tonight” Johnson and concussion-nursing DJ Ware fighting for that last spot.

The Defense:

Missing defensive tackle Chris Canty, along with cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Terrell Thomas, the shorthanded starting defense was less than inspiring against a Baltimore Ravens team that clearly wanted to work on its passing game. Completing 20 of 31 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, Joe Flacco and his offense marched up and down the field seemingly uncontested, ultimately putting up 17 points on the Giants starters (who might be lucky it wasn’t more).

While G101 will refrain from panicking over such a performance in the preseason, especially missing two of their top three starting CB’s, it certainly wasn’t one to be proud of for Perry Fewell’s defense. Looking to show they aren’t the same defense from last year that ranked 30th in the league, there seemed to be a heck of a lot of room in the middle of the field for Ravens pass catchers to float around and wait for the ball (which, you know, seems a lot like last year). Courtney Brown continued his horrendous preseason, Todd Heap made Antrel Rolle look like Courtney Brown, and the defensive front four rarely seemed to overpower Flacco’s protection. Speaking of Courtney Brown, it seems that in spite of his performance he’s still the next guy on the depth chart after Bruce Johnson, which is probably why two G101 writers and multiple commenters have predicted Jerry Reese finds another CB at final cuts time.

Perhaps Hazem’s in-depth game analysis tomorrow will find a few bright spots from the starting defense, but at first glance there hardly looked like there were any tonight. Justin Tuck, I guess, but that’s nothing new.

In the second half, the defense looked better (they didn’t give up any points in the 3rd quarter), but that might say more about Marc Bulger than anyone on the field for the Giants. As they did with Heap in the first half, the Ravens used TE’s Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta to beat the Giants in the second half. Much like the last year, the Giants defenders seem unwilling to challenge TE’s at the line of scrimmage. Interestingly, Clint Sintim entered the game as defensive end tonight, not a linebacker.

Special Teams:

Not good. At all. Some lowlights: poor tackling on the opening kickoff, Tim Brown muffing one kick and tripping on another return attempt. Worst showing of the night was a terrible decision by Andre Brown to take a ball out from five yards deep, only to get slammed to the turf at the ten yard-line. The bright spot here was young punter Matt Dodge, who capitalized on the the bounty of opportunities and showed consistently good, high punts. His best moments were an absolute beauty from the back of his own endzone in the first half, and a gem in the third quarter that bounced at the five yard-line (just out of the reach of Duke Calhoun). Really good performance by Dodge.

The Injury Report:

Perhaps more important than any of tonight’s performances is the injury report. You never know what will pop up tomorrow and next day, but the Giants escaped pretty easily tonight. Justin Tuck had a scary moment where his right hand appeared injured, but he was back on the field shortly. Rookie LB Adrian Tracy, impressing in his transition from DE to LB, left in the fourth quarter with a heavily wrapped elbow.

Overall:

No Giants fan, player, or coach who watched that game is going to come away from it feeling very good about anything. With nagging injuries all over the place, neither side of the ball has been able to gel as a unit. Neither the offensive or defensive line is controlling the line of scrimmage, and the little things aren’t being done correctly up and down the roster. Perhaps most importantly, neither unit looks particularly confident. Anyone who watched Bill Sheridan’s defense last year knows what kind of snowball effect can be created by a playing without confidence.

Alas, after such a performance it will be hard to say that the fear and disgust already rippling throughout The Internets from panicked Giants fans is totally unwarranted. As a loyal (and generally logical) Giant fan told me tonight, in lamenting that I had to sit through this game and write it up: “You could just post a picture of puke, and I think that’d sum it up.”

But let me stave off impending doom momentarily, while admitting that I can’t do much to whitewash how bad the Giants were tonight: The season isn’t over. New defensive systems take time to come together, and the opening day offensive line won’t include Guy Whimper. At the end of the day, plenty of teams have poor preseasons made meaningless by good starts to the regular season. If the Giants want to do that, getting healthy is probably more important than playing well in the preseason. With that in mind, the best thing to come out of tonight’s putrid performance was the fact that Justin Tuck’s hand injury wasn’t serious.

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Posted in Aaron Ross, Ahmad Bradshaw, Andre Brown, Antrel Rolle, Brandon Jacobs, Bruce Johnson, Chris Canty, Clint Sintim, Courtney Brown, D.J. Ware, Gartrell Johnson, Guy Whimper, Hakeem Nicks, Justin Tuck, Kareem McKenzie, Keith Bulluck, Matt Dodge, Mitch Petrus, Rhett Bomar, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'Hara, Shawn Andrews, Terrell Thomas, William Beatty | 96 Comments »

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